Page 36 of Critical Strike

Right behind where he’d just been standing, Claire stood, holding up the wooden skateboard she’d just used to clobber the guy. “Is he dead?” Poking his head around Claire’s legs, Khan meowed.

Luke hauled himself to his feet, pain shooting through his shoulder. “No. You knocked him out.” He nudged Brickman with his foot just to make sure. The jerk groaned incoherently.

“Are you okay?” She dropped the skateboard. “I heard him coming around the corner and had to hide. I didn’t just leave you.”

He forced a smile. “I never thought that. You did the smart thing. Now we need to get out of here before they come looking for Brickman.”

He grabbed her hand and began to pull her toward the bushes. She immediately yanked her hand free. “Luke. Oh my gosh. You’re covered in blood!”

He grimaced. “I cut my shoulder going through the window. I’m okay. We’ve got to go.”

A blue light flashed across Claire’s face from a police car. One vehicle was just pulling into the library’s front parking lot, but the sirens screaming through the night promised that more first responders were on their way.

She was still staring at his shoulder. “You’re hurt bad,” she whispered.

He would have to suck it up—Ballard’s men were everywhere. “Survive now. Tend to the wounds later.”

She nodded. Taking her hand with his good one, they darted for the few trees near the playground on the side of the blazing building. Khan stayed right with them.

They needed to get away from here.

“I don’t think we can get directly to the truck,” he muttered with a curse. There were too many of Ballard’s men and now too many first responders.

“We should go that way.” She pointed toward the back parking lot. “That leads farther into town, which means more places to hide.”

He glanced back at the line of tall, manicured bushes behind the library’s back lot. It would provide a perfect escape, but he was less familiar with that area and it was in the opposite direction of the truck. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. “Yes. I came back to this area for my last foster family in high school. We can hide until it’s clear, then circle back.”

More lights, both red and blue, flashed against the greenery. The fire department had arrived out front.

But another cop car had pulled up in the back lot. Damn it. They’d have to be doubly careful now—avoiding Ballard’s men and the police.

They crept along, staying in the shadows. Organized chaos was evident in the front with the fire department concentrating on the burning building. Hopefully nobody would be paying much attention back here.

He nudged Claire forward through a break in the bushes. Turning sideways to fit, he scooted through, wincing when the sharp leaves scraped his shoulder.

Claire’s gasp turned his blood cold.

One of Ballard’s men was there waiting, his weapon drawn.

The man gave them a cocky smile. “I knew you two were still around here somewhere. Count yourself lucky. Bullet is a better way to die than fire.”

A helpless rage swallowed Luke. He wouldn’t even be able to get in front of Claire to shield her.

“Freeze!”

The command came from the parking lot a few yards to the side of Ballard’s man. He kept his gun trained on Claire as he tilted his head to the side to talk to the cop.

“Officer—Thank goodness! I’ve got that fugitive that’s been on the TV. She has a gun, be careful!”

Then, without hesitation, Ballard’s man spun and shot the cop.

Luke leaped for the guy, pushing Claire out of the way. The man had shot that cop and there was no doubt that Luke and Claire were next on his list.

The sharp edge of his palm came down hard on the inside of the man’s elbow. The stranger’s hold slackened and the gun fell to the ground.

He was quick, though. Trained. A fist came flying toward Luke’s face.

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